Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI feels betrayed by his butler who was recently
arrested for illegal possession of secret documents, a Vatican official has said.
"The pope is a witness to a case which touches him closely. It is a trial for
him. He is suffering but also desires to understand, shed light on the matter,
and discover the truth," Pope's spokesman Federico Lombardi said. "He is particularly
hurt with regard to one person, Paolo Gabriele, who he was close to, who he knew,
loved and respected," Lombardi said in reference to Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele.
Gabriele, 46, was suspected of leaking highly sensitive documents addressed to
Benedict XVI, which have lifted the lid on alleged corruption and nepotism at
the Holy See, the Telegraph reports. According to the paper, Italian media have
speculated that the leaks could be a part of a power-struggle within the Vatican
that aims to replace the Church's powerful number two, Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone, and maybe even the pope himself. The documents, which splashed in the
national media and published in a book, highlighted many Vatican secrets, including
the Church's tax problems, child sex scandals and negotiations with hardline traditionalist rebels.